Game 1: Men's Hoops Hosts FDU in Season Opener

Friday, November 9

Piscataway, N.J.

7 p.m.

Rutgers University

Fairleigh Dickinson

Photo by: (Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)

Nov 04 | Men's Basketball

Tickets BTN Plus Stream Live Stats Rutgers IMG Sports Network Game Notes FDU Game Notes Gameday Flip Card

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON KNIGHTS (0-0) AT RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS (0-0)
Friday, Nov. 9, 2018 | 7 p.m. ET
The RAC (8,000) | Piscataway, N.J.

TV: BTN Plus (Lou Brogno, play-by-play; Ralph Bednarczyk, analyst)
Radio: Rutgers IMG Sports Network (WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM), XM 386 (Jerry Recco & Joe Boylan) and WRSU 88.7 FM (Matt Howe & Sam Marsdale)

Series Record: Rutgers leads 13-2
Last Meeting: Rutgers 92, FDU 54 (Dec. 9, 2017 at the RAC)

PROMOTIONS: Schedule magnet giveaway; Two free complimentary tickets for season ticket holders; Student Greek Game #1. HALFTIME: Performance by the Rutgers Marching Band.

OPENING TIP: Rutgers opens its 107th season of collegiate basketball versus Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday evening in the first of four games in the Hub City Classic. The Scarlet Knights have a 77-29 all-time record in game one contests. Head coach Steve Pikiell is 2-0 at the RU helm in openers and 18-3 in non-conference home games. Six scholarship student-athletes are poised to see their first collegiate game action in a Rutgers uniform.

THE SERIES: It will mark the 16th meeting between the schools dating back to 1981, with RU holding a 13-2 advantage, including a 12-2 mark at the RAC. The Scarlet Knights have won four straight in the series. Last season, Geo Baker scored 19 points and dished-out 11 assists to propel Rutgers to a 92-54 home victory over FDU. He shot 7-of-11 en route to his first career double-double, which was comprised of the most assist by an RU player in a regulation game since Marquis Webb also had 11 versus Syracuse on Jan. 24, 2005. The Scarlet Knights shot 53.2% (33-of-62), while limiting FDU to a 32.2% (19-of-59) field goal performance. Pikiell is 2-0 versus FDU at Rutgers and 5-1 overall in his head coaching career.

THE OPPONENT: Under sixth-year head coach Greg Herenda, FDU is picked second in the Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Senior forward Mike Holloway Jr., who has 1,058 career points and 589 rebounds, was named to the Preseason All-NEC Team. After a 9-9 conference record last season, which included an NEC Tournament Semifinals appearance, the Knights earned one first-place vote. It marks the second straight season the Knights have been picked to finish as the conference's runner-up. Herenda is 1-4 against Rutgers as head coach at Fairleigh Dickinson.

CONNECTION(S): Rutgers Director of Player Development Greg Vetrone served four seasons (2009-13) as head coach at FDU after previously working as an assistant coach (1989-91) in Teaneck.

COACHING COMPARISON

Rutgers Head Coach Steve Pikiell
Overall Record (years)........... 222-193 (14th)
Rutgers Record (years)............... 30-37 (3rd)
Record vs. FDU (RU).............................. 2-0
Record vs. FDU (overall)......................... 5-1

FDU Head Coach Greg Herenda
Overall Record (years).......... 185–173 (13th)
FDU Record (years).................... 60–94 (6th)
Record vs. RU (FDU).............................. 1-4
Record vs. RU (overall)........................... 1-4

SCARLET KNIGHT NOTABLES

• Rutgers returns seven scholarship lettermen, including 2017-18 redshirts Peter Kiss and Myles Johnson, from a team that advanced to the 2018 Big Ten quarterfinals at MSG via victories over Minnesota and Indiana. It marked the first time RU won two conference tournament games since 1998. Four players who started in the B1G Championship return in co-captains Shaquille Doorson and Eugene Omoruyi, Issa Thiam and MET Rookie of the Year Geo Baker.

• The Scarlet Knights must replace two regular season starters, six scholarship letterwinners, 55% of its scoring and 48% of its rebounding from last season. Eleven of Rutgers' 30 regular season games in 2018-19 are against opponents ranked or receiving votes in the preseason polls.

• Rutgers welcomes a signing class that includes multiple (Montez Mathis, Ron Harper, Jr.) four-star players for the first time since 2008. Junior college transfer Shaq Carter is a preseason Big Ten All-Newcomer selection by Street & Smith's.

• Five Big Ten programs that have won NCAA men's basketball titles will compete in Piscataway, including five-time national champion Indiana.

• Rutgers will battle upon a new surface in 2018-19. An outline of the State of New Jersey is displayed prominently at center court, along with Block R spirit mark, on the newly-installed hardwood. The illustration projects the the Scarlet Knights' state pride.

• Despite the 2nd toughest conference schedule in the Big Ten per Ken Pom analysis for the 2nd straight year in 2017-18, Rutgers ranked 17th nationally in scoring defense (64.8) and offensive rebounding (13.15), while placing 27th in 3-point FG% defense (27.0). RU ranked among the top three in eight Big Ten stat categories last season, including leading the league in offensive rebounding and 3-point FG% defense. RU played 10 games against NCAA Tournament round of 32 qualifiers.